The central province of Thua Thien-Hue has yet to relocate nearly 3,000 families for a restoration project along a 10-kilometer stretch of land near the former royal palace in Hue, Vietnam's historical imperial capital.

The authorities planned to move the families years ago when it decided to restore the palace's front upper walls, known as the Thuong thanh Dai noi Hue, located within the former imperial citadel.

There are at least ten thousand people living at the site, and it will take some US$15,000 to move each family, the provincial government said in 2008.

The Hue Ancient Capital Relics Preservation Center (HACRPC) also said finding a site to relocate the residents had become more difficult over the years as land in the area had become increasingly scarce and expensive.

However, this month, the Hue municipal People's Committee approved a nearly $5 million plan to build an apartment building for relocation purposes.

But the building only includes 161 apartments and will not open for another two years.

According to Phan Thanh Hai, HACRPC's vice director, the local government must also educate locals about the importance of the project.